FBC Missions

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted and much has happened since then. I have managed to see the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, the Pyramids at Giza, poke around the dusty crevices of the Egyptian Museum, meet the most traveled Indian musician, visit the only evangelical boys’ orphanage in Egypt, and even catch another cold.

The Pyramids live up to the hype. I think there is a reason so many people visit them; they are that impressive. It is a little disconcerting to see how close they are to the city and how people make their livings next to and through the mammoth structures. Even without the limestone that used to make up their facades, the linked bricks seem to defy time, space, and human imagination. It was also extremely hot the day we went, so there weren’t as many people crowded around as I had expected. I also managed to ride a camel and direct it successfully left, right, and straight, circling the Pyramids and viewing the Sphinx. I have heard that people are surprised by how small it is, but I didn’t find it small at all. Granted, my words can’t do these sites justice, but you’ll just have to come to my report to see pictures.

I also went to the Egyptian Museum, which is amazing. How they can cram so many priceless objects into one place is incredible. I barely saw maybe a quarter of its contents and am planning on going a second time. Apparently a new, state of the art museum is in the works as this museum is over 100 years old, lacks appropriate lighting, security, and climate control, and most of its collection is housed on old, wood and glass cases. The one secure case with good, fiber optic lighting, houses, of course, Tutankhamen’s death mask. I count myself lucky that I got to view it up close and personal and it wasn’t abroad on temporary loan somewhere. Anyway, the museum really nailed home the fact that Egypt has a rich history and I did not even begin to appreciate it fully.

Last week, Gene and Brenda hosted Benny Prasad, India’s most traveled musician. He has an amazing story and has been to over 105 countries. It was a blessing to meet him and see his complete and utter devotion to his faith and his work. With him, we went up to see some of the coptic churches near Garbage City. They are famous for being built out of caves and home to Coptic Christians for centuries. Some days they’ll pack in 10,000 worshippers for service.

Other than seeing some of the amazing sites Cairo has to offer, I managed to nearly wrap up my English classes and Arabic classes and yes, get sick again. I think that my physical health is my weakness here as I’ve now been sick four times. But I’ve had this cold for about six days now so it should be about ready to end, I hope. Next week, I am hoping to go to the beach for a couple of days and then be back to go to the Sudanese hadana one more time.

Time is really starting to fly and the weather seems to have heated up. It seems like every day I am soaked through with sweat, gross I know, and passing the hours with Arabic class, English class, preschool preparation, and recently, jewelry making. I have also started to think about the report I will make upon my return, and frankly, I don’t know where to begin. This entire experience is shaping up to be full of lessons learned about myself, about team building, about this unique environment, and about the work needing to be done. At times I feel overwhelmed by the daunting task at hand, but at others, I am filled with excitement that the time is upon us to effect real change in the world. I don’t think it makes a lot of sense, but just know that I am learning a lot, and plan on acting upon those lessons upon my return. Until then I have about three weeks more to pack in as much as I can and then say, “Au revoir” to Egypt.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about something Rocio said to me a few days ago. In talking about our mutual frustrations she said something to the effect of, “When I got here I assumed that I would be frustrated by hard-hearted Egyptian people and that my problems would be related to reaching them. But I have learned that the majority of my problems concern my roommates and learning to function as a team. The people here are actually rather sensitive and open.”

One of the greatest lessons I am learning here is how to function on a team. Egypt has defied my expectations and confounded me at every turn. Having roommates from different countries and different cultures who are, like me, adjusting and transitioning to a different lifestyle, language, and environment and who, at times, have difficulty communicating their thoughts and feelings. It is as if I came to a building and expected to go directly to the top floor but instead am starting at the ground level and working my way up. I don’t know if that analogy is very clear but perhaps you can sense the paradigmatic shift I am experiencing.

Simultaneously I have had wonderful opportunities to see the sensitivity of the Egyptian people that Rocio talked about. Maybe it is a result that now I feel freer to initiate and respond due to knowing a few words in Arabic. It is amazing how any aptitude in a foreign language at all can encourage one to wave, smile, and offer a simple greeting.

Additionally, we’ve had to go by taxi to the hadana this week. With Gene and Brenda on vacation, they’re gone for the week, we’ve made do. The first day, I thought everything was going wrong. Sergio’s watch stopped so he thought he still had plenty of time. Meanwhile we’re at the house frantically calling him and we’re already a half and hour late. He hurries to get here once we realize what happened and there’s a man cleaning his taxi cab on our street. Don’t ask me what he was doing there. Anyway, he agrees to take us for 25 pounds which is kind of a lot but we didn’t really have time to barter and there was no other taxis in sight. So he takes us and I think he was very surprised where we went. We ask him if he’ll wait for us and take us back for another 25 and he agrees. So we hurry in and do our thing. We didn’t have so many children, probably because we were so late, but time passes and all of a sudden Mary Carmen comes to our class to tell us we have to leave that instant. Apparently the driver had to get back, I still don’t really know. Anyway, we wrap things up, the driver gives us five minutes. Out in the main area, I look in a little room where babies usually sleep and there’s our driver sitting with babies all around him, in his lap, on the floor, etc. Anyway, we say our goodbyes and leave but it occurred to me then that maybe we were supposed to be late in order to witness without words to this driver. Sudanese people are looked down upon by Egyptians and I think we set a good example to this man by going and loving the Sudanese children. When we arrived back home we asked him if he could also take us on Wednesday. We exchanged numbers and he again took us on Wednesday. He charged us a little extra, I guess for having to come to our house that morning, but I hope he remembers us and our work. He seemed to have a sensitive spot in his heart for the children and I can’t help but be glad that he was our driver.

We’ve also started bringing food for the children. Sometimes the children are disruptive or fight or are constantly bringing in with them little bags of chips, junk food really. Anyway, we’ve brought grapes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and juice so far. The sandwiches not a big hit, I think because they are not used to the flavor, but that is okay, at least they ate some of it. It is a struggle to strategize how to feed these children healthy food when they’ve eaten nothing and then expect them to concentrate in class on empty bellies. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and watching them fill themselves with chips and cheetos just to eat something is heartbreaking. In any case, even though the sandwiches weren’t popular at least they were good for them, although we’ll have to try something else next. It’s also difficult when you realize that a lot of healthy food on a mass scale is simply out of the realm of possibility. At home it’s no big deal to get carrot sticks or nuts or whatever. Going to the grocery store last weekend opened my eyes. I still haven’t seen anything approaching a carrot stick and a little basket of almonds is seven dollars! So we’re going with fruit and juice for now. The grapes go over well. We shall see what we come up with next.

My Arabic classes are going well. We’re finished for the week but I have much more to study over the weekend. This week we learned prepositions, a few simple verbs, how to say our address, and how to give directions to the taxi driver. Oh, and we also learned our family members. It is difficult for me in several ways. First, it seems as though everything is conjugated in Arabic. Even if I conjugate the first word like I want, whatever comes next is also conjugated. And it is different if you are male or female or singular or plural. So there are many choices and they tend to get jumbled up in my head. The same for family members. There’s a different word for an aunt or uncle depending on if it’s on your mother’s side or your father’s side. Don’t even get me started on blended families or adopted families. I didn’t even ask. Another problem is that our teacher, Heba, who is really very good, writes how you would say the word in English, coming from the Arabic. But then the way she says it is not how I would read it so I have to then write it down in a way that I can then attempt to pronounce it correctly. But other than that, things are going well. I’d like to think, not arrogantly, that I am one of the better students in the class. We have quite a mix, and as I am fresh out of school, the routine of learning is still there. But, Arabic is definitely one of the most difficult subjects I have ever encountered.

On the bright side my journey to and from class has been considerably shortened. I usually take the metro, walking from the house to the metro, riding it down two stops, getting off, and walking probably half a mile to school. It’s not so bad but coming back is usually in the middle and in the heat of the day and I don’t look forward to it quite so much. But one day, my fellow Scottish classmate, Diane, offered me a lift home. Quite a few of the people in my class have their own drivers. Anyway, I accepted but I was a bit apprehensive because I don’t really know how to direct anyone else to my house. I know the one way to get there and back but it involves crossing the railroad tracks and isn’t accessible by car. But I figured we could figure it out and after a few unfamiliar turns I spotted the fountain near my street and we made our way there. It’s a nice opportunity to get to know Diane more so than when we are sounding out words in Arabic like elementary school children. Needless to say I know quite a bit more about her now than I did before. I didn’t want to get used to this unexpected luxury but ever since she has offered me a ride home. We had the idea that it’d be nice to get together as a class outside of class sometime. Unfortunately it’s hard to schedule that sort of thing. One of our classmates Sharon isn’t going to be able to make it to the last week and of course with multiple people it’s hard to schedule a time when everybody can make it. And it’s quite evident that there is a varied lifestyle among the group as well. Pedro, the other American, is traveling and on a restricted budget. Sharon has lived her for a year, and her husband works for an NGO, and they live in a villa. Olga’s husband is a reservoir engineer for BP, well I’m sure you get the picture. But we’re going to try for lunch on Tuesday after class, so we’ll see how it goes.

So I guess I’m still in the midst of learning but also settling in and getting to know people, Egyptian, and otherwise, a little bit better.

I don’t know if I’m up to a mammoth, recap post but I will try and apprise you of the main happenings since I last posted.

The main developments have been that I have started teaching English to four Egyptian boys and I have begun my conversational Arabic course.

Three of the boys are around my age, so they’re not really boys. They are all studying English in university but are eager for more learning and extra practice. It is a good opportunity for me to see if teaching is what I want to do in the future, and foreign language learning specifically. I’m challenged by the labor-intensive preparation it takes for each class as well as their myriad questions about everything concerning pronunciation to idioms and expressions. Furthermore, they are at different levels of proficiency and I am struggling to meet all their needs simultaneously. As a high achieving student myself, I have often felt the stinging lack of a challenge, a lack of a teacher committed to serving my needs and settling for a more utilitarian approach. So the classes are a work in progress, but it is a joy to serve young men who are eager to learn. Ibrahim is a little younger, only sixteen, but has tremendous potential to make substantial progress.

My own language classes are an interesting endeavor as well. Three days a week for two hours I am learning conversational Arabic, enough to get me through daily life here. Today was my first class. There is quite a mix of nationalities represented there, even with only seven students. We have a girl from Gabon, a woman from Spain, a woman from Scotland, one from England, one from Switzerland, and one man from the States like myself. Today we covered basic greetings, questions, and numbers. By the time the two hours were over my brain hurt from trying to concentrate on unfamiliar sounds and what is to me, backwards writing. But I am excited and encouraged by the prospect of being able to communicate more fully with my environment.

On the way back to the house, I predictably got lost. I had tried to memorize the twists and turns of the route there as Rocio took me to show me the way. But I made a wrong turn. Luckily, I spotted some familiar landmarks and made my way home with no trouble.

Today is also the Fourth of July. We celebrated with blueberry cheesecake and some sparklers. Last Saturday was the embassy sponsored picnic so we went there and enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, all the coca-cola products you could drink, etc. So I’ve had my dose of Americana even here in Egypt.

I am also still feeling my way with regards to teamwork particularly concerning the work with the Sudanese children. Encountering language barriers and cross cultural communication to a degree that I have never felt before leaves me feeling vulnerable. Issues that I thought we had resolved days ago keep reappearing. I find myself taking on more and more work, with a very American viewpoint towards innovation and striving for perfection.

I need to remind myself that God uses all people at varying skill levels and especially through their weaknesses. Furthermore, I cannot simply take over a project. It is crucial that all the members of a team feel ownership of a project that requires their full attention and participation and as a visitor I cannot afford to be the interfering interloper dictating what is right and what is wrong. But I find myself on shaky ground balancing what I think is offering my helpful input and expertise and dealing with a team in the midst of transition. The nature of the game requires flexibility and a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them. So we shall see. We are trying to incorporate more crafts and games into the classes, not just the basic rote memorization of the alphabet and words. But it does require additional time and energy which isn’t easy when some of us are battling the heat, the weakness of our bodies, homesickness, and spiritual warfare. Also, as this is a pilot program we are attempting to compile materials as a basis for further instruction. In any exercise, I think it is important that if, for whatever reason, suddenly the team disintegrates or is replaced that new people can step in and easily see what had gone on before and be able to take it from there. With a program mostly operating by feel and taking it a week at a time, my business sense clamors to take over and compile a manual or some kind of record of what we did and how we did it, not to mention our resources. So that is yet another task before me.

And I’ve caught a bug. Waking up for several days in a row with a scratchy throat, a raspy cough, and congestion isn’t ideal. But I wouldn’t give up my fan and air conditioning for anything, for it helps me sleep. I am, instead, trying to take care of my body and get well as soon as possible.

Sometimes I wonder how the hours of the day pass so quickly. But somehow they do in the midst of living daily life from cooking to cleaning to doing laundry to serving the people through language learning, craft preparing, and loving. At the end of the day there is nothing else but the thought that even in this harsh environment we are not alone and we do not have to rely upon our own strength to see us through.

And with that I think I will stop. So much for not writing a mammoth post.

Today give thanks for the many freedoms we enjoy as Americans.  

The last couple of days have been quite eventful. Yesterday was a real cultural experience as the girls and I went to the Khan-al-khalili market in the Islamic quarter of Cairo. On the way there our taxi driver pointed out some of the sights including the Citadel, a massive fortress that seems to extend as far as the eye can see. Traffic was busy but we soon wound our way down into what seems to be the heart of the city.

Teeming with people the market was alive and well at 7 at night. Some stalls stay open until 5 in the morning. Anyway, we set out and immediately got lost in the sea of tourists, touts, and vendor’s wares. I always get a little nervous when I go to a large market, not only because you have to keep a good eye on your purse. Overwhelmed with choice I mostly buy nothing, unable to decide. But I was a bit more impulsive this time around and bought plenty of gifts to fill my spare suitcase on the way home.

I usually get annoyed too, at the ceaseless, “Hey, come into my shop” or “Just one look, please.” But there was something refreshing and earnest about the vendors’ simple need to make a living. We had a few charming interactions with shopowners, even stopping for tea and a nice long haggle with a scarf seller. For me, it was a cultural experience that showed Egyptian friendliness, intelligence (many spoke several languages), and daring. And I bought some cool stuff, too.

After several hours we hailed another taxi cab, or rather had one procured for us for a fee, and went to the mall in Maadi to run some errands and window shop.

Our taxi driver, Youssef (or Joseph) was a surprisingly engaging man who talked nonstop all the way there. An engineer by training, he like many other Egyptians couldn’t find a job and so resorted to driving a taxi cab. But he seemed pleasantly resigned to his fate, enjoying the prospects of meeting nice, interesting people every day. He gave us another tour of the sights including Al-Azhar and the City of the Dead and even offered to stop so I could take a picture. Since we were speeding down the highway, I declined. We had a very informative chat all the way to the mall where he regaled us with his views on President Bush, Mubarak, education, Christianity, and more. When we arrived he even gave me his telephone number in case I need to call for a ride. Not that I will use it.

Today we went again to the Sudanese preschool. Class went well but I think we are facing some difficulties as we develop this pilot program. Language barriers and cultural barriers combine to muddle communication and we are facing a monumental task of developing curriculum and preparing all the materials for class in a timely manner. That and searching for new ways to keep the children engaged but not run out of time to review the basics has led to some interesting discussion. At times I feel frustrated because I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, nor what was expected of me and no one has really made that explicit. I also feel like I can see a lot further and envision a broader picture beyond simple recitation and memorization of the ABCs. However, I am presented with the novel experience of working with inexperienced, well maybe not inexperienced, but new workers in this particular ministry and I cannot expect everything to go smoothly. Nor can I let my type A(-) personality run amok and take over ownership of every task. It is a fine line to walk and a humbling experience. On the other hand I have done more coloring in this past week than I think I have done in my entire life. And working with 2-3 year olds, NOT my age group of choice, has been a challenge.

After, we had Egyptian food called koushery (sp?) It seemed kind of like a casserole gone crazy, a mixture of pasta, lentils, tomato sauce, and some other unidentifiable objects. It was alright but not my favorite.

The rest of the day I spent napping, reading, and coloring some more. Tomorrow I will go register and pay for my Arabic course and then, you guessed it…color.

I have been here for a week now and am well adjusted to my new life. Even walking to and from the grocery store feels familiar. That said, I feel pretty lazy today. I didn’t really do anything, because it was too hot. In this weather, I have to be careful and pace myself even if I do feel rather sloth-like.

This morning my parents called rather early so I ended up going to bed after talking to them. I must say I feel like part of the modern world again with a working cell phone. For a few days it was nice to not have to worry about the interruption of constant ringing, but it is a good tool to have when you’re out and about or as a link to back home. You can’t be on Skype all the time!

So I went back to bed until it was time to leave for the preschool. The kids had a hard time settling down in the beginning, but I think having a clearer plan of action made things go much more smoothly after that. Last time we were searching for something to do to fill the time, today we finished and looked at the clock and it was time to go. We are starting to do a letter per day now, in order to finish the alphabet in a reasonable amount of time. It also helps keep things active so the kids get less bored, at least some of the quicker ones. So we did the letter C today and displayed some beautiful posters of a car, cat, and a cookie that Sergio had drawn. Then we colored cats and the kids spent a lot more time on these coloring sheets than they have on other ones. We also played a new game with several items in a bag, including apples, bananas, and boats that the kids drew out with their eyes closed and then had to identify. I think it went well. And of course, we gave them cookies at the end and the blessed silence was amazing. Usually they are pounding on the tables or crying or doing whatever it is young children do that makes noise, but give them a cookie and they sit there quietly munching. So all in all, it was a successful day.

On our way back to Maadi, we got stopped by the police. They were stopping everyone but I think they could tell we were foreigners and assumed we had money. They tried to scare us with the threat of an infraction but clearly they only wanted money. I think it was annoying but you also have to sympathize with the fact that they are struggling to make ends meet and don’t get paid hardly anything at all. That doesn’t justify the inappropriate methods of arbitrary pullovers and bribes, but when I look at them I see families they are trying to feed and an ineffectual government that doesn’t feed its employees. Anyway, we made our way back home and Mary Carmen set about making lunch.

We had hamburgers and french fries which were delicious if a little heartburn-inducing. Mary Carmen anyway, not me. They were very good but afterwards I was stuffed and didn’t feel like doing anything.

After washing the dishes I started on a book Gene loaned me that details the making of the modern Middle East as we know it today. I know sketches of the history surrounding the fall of the Ottoman Empire and British and French interference, but this is a much more complete account of the time period between 1914 and 1922. So I am reading that to get a better feel for the area by knowing its historical context.

Afterward, I took a nap and slept most of the rest of the day away. Tomorrow we are going to the Khan al Khalili market so I am excited about that. I will try to post some pictures as well. I have quite a few cute ones of the Sudanese children.